Presently, it is known to use protective caps on exposed ends of individual reinforcement bars used in the construction industry. Typically, the caps have a xe2x80x9cmushroomxe2x80x9d shape. These caps are designed to prevent the various injuries that can occur through accidental contact with the exposed ends of the reinforcement bars. These caps are generally successful in preventing assorted minor injuries that can arise through contact with the exposed ends of reinforcement bars. More serious injuries which can occur by forceful impacts with the exposed ends of reinforcement bars may not be adequately addressed by the caps, such as when a worker at a construction site falls from an elevated work platform onto the cap covering the exposed end of a reinforcement bar. Workers who fall onto these reinforcement bars having caps thereon are still at a serious risk of being impaled.
Various impalement protection devices have been used. One is a safety cover that consists of a relatively large cover plate operatively secured to a collar that mounts to an upper end of a reinforcement bar. Often, a steel insert is included to prevent the reinforcement bar from penetrating the cover plate. One version of such a safety cover includes a safety cap that snap-fits to a mushroom type protective cap with a steel insert therebetween. Other versions provide a one-piece cover plate and collar.
Still other alternatives exist for providing impalement protection with linearly arranged reinforcement bars. One known product uses a guardrail for guarding reinforcement bars including a housing with structure for capturing the reinforcement bars therein. Still other alternatives include a safety cover-like device with upwardly extending sidewalls for capturing a 2xe2x80x3xc3x974xe2x80x3 piece of lumber over linearly arranged reinforcement bars.
All of the various options described require maintaining an inventory of numerous different products specific to each particular application. Moreover, some of the products can be difficult and expensive to manufacture.
The present invention is directed to further improvements in safety systems for use with linearly arranged reinforcement bars.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a safety system for use with linearly arranged reinforcement bars including an adapter removably received on a safety cover.
Broadly, there is disclosed herein in accordance with a first aspect of the invention a safety system for use with linearly arranged reinforcement bars. The safety system includes a plurality of safety covers and a plurality of adapters. Each safety cover includes a cover plate and a collar operatively associated with and extending downwardly from the cover plate for mounting to an upper end of a reinforcement bar. Each adapter has a center section and opposite upwardly turned side sections defining a channel. The center section is adapted to removably receive one of the safety covers to secure the adapter to the reinforcement bar. The channel receives an elongate body extending between two or more of the adapters on linearly arranged reinforcement bars.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention the adapter center section includes a through opening whereby the cover plate of one of the safety covers is disposed in the channel and the collar extends downwardly through the opening to removably receive one of the safety covers.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention the adapter center section includes opposite downwardly extending support members and the cover plate of one of the safety covers is supported between the support members to removably receive the one of the safety covers.
It is a feature of the invention that the side sections include a plurality of openings for receiving fasteners to fasten the elongate body to the adapter. The side sections may include inwardly extending bosses surrounding each opening.
It is another feature of the invention that each adapter includes tabs hingedly mounted to and extending upwardly from the side sections for attaching to the top of the elongate body.
It is a further feature of the invention that the side sections include inwardly extending ribs.
It is still another feature of the invention that the center section includes upwardly extending pins receivable in openings in the cover plate to snap-fit the adapter to one of the safety covers.
It is still a further feature of the invention that each adapter is of one-piece plastic construction.
It is yet another feature of the invention that each adapter comprises a generally planar elongate plate having a pair of laterally extending grooves to define living hinges between the center section and the side sections and the side sections are folded upwardly about the living hinges to define the channel.
There is disclosed in accordance with another aspect of the invention an adapter for supporting an elongate body above linearly arranged reinforcement bars in a safety system, the safety system including a plurality of safety covers, one for each linearly arranged reinforcement bar. Each safety cover includes a cover plate and a collar operatively associated with and extending downwardly from the cover plate for mounting to an upper end of one of the reinforcement bars. The adapter comprises a center wall connected to opposite upwardly turned side walls to define a channel, the channel for receiving an elongate body extending between two or more of the adapters on linearly arranged reinforcement bars. Securing means are operatively associated with the center wall for removably securing the adapter to one of the safety covers.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the specification and from the drawings.